So many years have passed without a release for the Weinstein Company’s Fanboyswe’re surprised some kook hasn’t retitled it Cannedboys for his own sad amusement. Today word arrived via AICN that Judd Apatow‘s producing partner Shauna Robertson is overseeing the film with possible reshoots and a major edit to the film’s plotline involving a fanboy with cancer.

The story follows a group of friends who try to break in Skywalker Ranch to steal a copy of Star Wars Episode 1. The reason they finally agree to do it is because one of the friends in dying of cancer and won’t live to see it in theaters. Apparently the Apatow people have done research which says most people won’t laugh for 5 or 10 minutes after cancer is mentioned so they want to do away with the entire cancer subplot and I’ve heard they have a version which edited out the entire cancer plot.

Mind you, the quote above comes from a “friend of a friend close to the production,” but either way, it sounds like there’s activity once again with the troubled production. How much of a hands-on role Judd Apatow has in this, if any, is unknown. If you’re asking what would replace such a pivotal aspect (re: cancer boy) of the flick if it’s in fact redacted, the source says the Weinstein Co. wants to make the fanboys’ mission a nutty idea for the sake of nuttiness a la a prototypical heist flick. I haven’t seen the movie, but Harry Knowles says such a change would suck its “soul” out. How do you feel about it? The last tentative date for the film in a litany of them was set for next weekend. More on on Fanboys‘ predicament as it develops.